Colour As Therapy
Did you know that psychologists have done lengthy studies into colours and how they make you feel and how we can use them in therapy? Researchers have found that colours activate parts of our brain AND body and have beneficial effects on both.
Knowing how the different colours affect us can be helpful when painting your home so you can ensure each room will positively affect you and your guests. If you want a room to be calming, it’s probably best you don’t paint it red, and if you want a room to energize your body and mind, you’re not going to paint it blue.
How Colours Affect Our Body
Researchers have studied the effects of colour on your body and have found some interesting results.
Red: Red is a great colour to stimulate your body as it increases blood circulation. While bright red is more stimulating than deep red, both are great choices for an office where you want to be alert and ready to work. Red is also a great option for a gym.
Yellow: Yellow stimulates the nerves in your body and purifies the body, this is a great colour for a kitchen where you can also purify your body with food.
Orange: Orange is linked to healing the lungs and increasing energy levels. Orange is the perfect colour for a home gym, or perhaps you own a gym. Orange is also a great colour for the office. While bright orange has the most significant effects, a lighter orange can also elicit the same bodily response just on a lesser scale.
Blue: Researchers found that blue soothes illnesses and treats pain, which is why you often see blue colours in hospitals and doctors’ offices.
How Colours Affect Our Mind
Red: Red is a very interesting colour as it triggers opposing emotions – passion, love, anger and danger. Thus, you should use it strategically. The best way to know if red is the colour for you is to pay attention to how you feel when you look at it, if you feel negative, perhaps you should choose a different colour.
Orange: Orange has a similar effect on the mind as it does the body – it enhances feelings of vitality and happiness. People don’t often look at orange and feel negatively due to the brightness that accompanies really rich oranges.
Green: Green is the perfect colour to make you feel optimistic and refreshed, that’s why walking in nature is often a great way for people to unwind and escape.
Blue: Blue is the number one colour associated with feeling safe and relaxed. Blue is popular in bedrooms and bathrooms, especially where a soaker tub is present. Powder blue gives that spa-like sensation that everyone strives for after a stressful day.
Purple: Purple is said to spark the creative side of our minds which makes it the perfect colour for an artists or graphic designers office.
Indigo: Indigo is dubbed the “colour of the mind” and represents inner contemplation and self-reflection. If you’re heavily into meditation, indigo is the perfect colour for your meditation room.